How to distinguish a cat from a cat

Article verified by a practicing veterinarian

It would seem that what could be easier than determining the sex of an animal? But not everything is so simple. Even experienced cat owners sometimes cannot figure out how to distinguish a newborn cat from a cat.
There are also cases when, due to serious trauma to the genital organs or castration, it is not possible to determine the gender of an adult animal. In this article we will talk about how to distinguish a cat from a cat at any age, based not only on the appearance of the genitals, but also based on indirect signs of gender.

Why is gender determination necessary?

You need to know the sex of a kitten for the following reasons:

The pet must be given a nickname. It is not advisable to change it in adulthood, since the cat already knows its name and responds to it.
You need to determine in advance whether your pet will need to be spayed or neutered in the future.
The animal has its own behavioral characteristics depending on its gender. Owners need to select a pet based on this fact. For example, cats mark their territory more often, which causes an unpleasant smell in the apartment. Unspayed females periodically go into heat. Their behavior changes, they begin to demand a cat. When babies are born, the cat becomes aggressive.
If the cubs are purebred, then they can be sold. Boys are more expensive than girls in Maine Coons and other types of cats.

Tactile palpation of the genitals

How to find out the gender of a kitten? Can be determined by palpating the genital area. Until the first sign begins to visually appear - the testicles, they are carefully palpated. If the testicle is palpable, it is a boy, if not, it is a girl.

How can a testicle be identified? You need to carefully move your middle and index fingers together over the perineal area. The presence of a pea-shaped formation of 3-5 mm in the area between the genitals and anus indicates a boy; if there is none, then it is a girl.

Note! This method of sex determination can be used at any age of the animal.

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Basic methods for determining sex

Most often, gender is determined by the genitals. However, at an early age they are poorly formed and even an experienced veterinarian does not always succeed. Therefore, other methods of identifying gender have been invented.

By behavior

At the age of several weeks, gender is determined by behavior:

Males are more active than cats.
Males try to take a dominant position and lead in games.
Boys win the fight for their mother's nipples during feeding. This then extends to the best pieces of food.

The listed signs only confirm gender, but do not prove it. You can accurately determine the sex by 3-4 months of your pet’s life. In males, the scrotum is clearly visible, which is absent in females.

According to the shape of the genitals

To determine the sex of a kitten, you need to look under its tail. The girl's genitals are located close to the anus (distance no more than one centimeter). Externally, they look like a thin vertical strip. In males they look like two round dots. They are located at a distance of two to three centimeters from the anus. Closer to three months, the cat will have testicles, allowing you to determine the sex instantly.

By color

If the gender cannot be determined by the genitals, this can be done by the fur. Tortoiseshell color (a combination of three shades) indicates that the kitten is a girl. This is due to the genetic code. Black and red colors are found only on the X chromosomes. Cats always have two of them. Males are rarely tricolored. If this happens, then they are infertile, since they have only one X chromosome. Males are more likely than females to be red in color.

By feeling

The easiest way to determine gender is by palpation. It is recommended to do this when the pet reaches at least two months of age. At an earlier age, their future location can be determined by the thickness and color of their fur. It is different from other areas. When palpating, you need to be as careful as possible so as not to damage the organs.

Gently run your finger over the genitals. If the animal is male, then its testicles can be felt

By body structure

By about six months, the pet's gender is determined by external signs. Cats have an elegant body and a thin, elongated muzzle. Males have large heads. The body is stocky and muscular. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

By habits

A male at about seven months of age may begin to mark his territory. Females begin to go into heat by six months. During this period, she constantly caresses, arches her back, raising her butt up.

Cats sleep most of the time. Females try to show independence and can even be aggressive towards people; they are cleaner, wash themselves constantly and usually go to the toilet only in the tray.

DNA test

You can accurately determine the gender of a kitten using a DNA test. It is produced in veterinary clinics. Sex is revealed in this way even in the first days of life. However, the procedure is expensive. Usually owners of purebred cats (Scottish, Angora, etc.) resort to it.

Non-standard folk methods

It is also possible to determine the sex of an animal in the first month of life using non-traditional non-standard methods. This is not just a flight of fancy, but the experience of grandmothers from the yard, breeders of cats and cats. But these methods, like some described above, do not give a 100% answer to the question of the animal’s gender.

During the period of growth and development of a kitten, when it is difficult to determine gender based on sexual characteristics, you can look at its eyes. This method is relevant for sighted kittens: the cat has a more arrogant and tough look, the cat is modest and docile.
By the thickness of fur in the genital area. Cats have a thicker undercoat in this area than cats. But you shouldn’t trust the density of baby fluff, which is why it’s so important to use this method when the animal is one month old.
For milk. More like a kitten drinking it from a saucer. This is one of grandma’s methods, and according to it, if a kitten runs towards a saucer of milk with its tail raised, then it is definitely a boy, if with its tail down, it is a cat.
Boys have a stronger smell of urine, but they are more affectionate than girls.

For your information! The color of the animal can also be taken into account. So, in 9 out of 10 cases, girls have a tricolor suit, since the X chromosome is responsible for this color. Males practically do not have a tricolor color; for them it is rare, a kind of genetic disease, a glitch. For boys, red or another color is typical, but not tricolor.

How to distinguish a cat from a cat in adolescence or adulthood: subtle signs

In adolescents or adults, distinctive features are easier to find because their external characteristics are fully formed. It is not possible to find out gender based on subtle characteristics with 100% certainty. But they will help confirm the guess.

Size and weight

From the age of six months, girls and boys begin to differ from each other in body shape and size. So, kitties become smaller than seals, their body remains more fragile and graceful. In teenage boys, the body becomes more massive and muscle mass develops better.

In addition, girls have rounded hips and a tummy with a more pronounced step crease. Boys have a narrow pelvis, a tucked stomach, and more muscular shoulder blades.

Girls weigh less than boys. But here we must not forget about the breed of the pet. You cannot compare a Maine Coon and a British representative. Comparisons are made only within the same cat family and breed.

Muzzle

How to determine the sex of a cat by the shape of its face? If you look closely at the pet, you will notice that the female’s muzzle is narrow and slightly elongated. In contrast to the large skull of the male, her head looks graceful.

The features of the face also indicate gender. The male's nose is wider, with a large lobe. The female has an elusive, but externally noticeable elegance in all her features.

Habits

Experienced owners know how to determine the sex of a cat simply by observing its behavior. The grown male begins to reclaim his territory, leaving marks everywhere. This occurs at the age of 6-7 months. Around this time, females begin their first estrus. She caresses, arching her back and lifting the back of her body up.

Cats love to relax, so they sleep most of the time. Cats, on the contrary, try to be in the center of events happening in the house. Girls are more clean, but boys are more relaxed about body cleanliness and will not constantly lick themselves.

Often cats are ardent eaters, that is, adherents of dense and frequent meals. Cats are not as fond of eating and begging, although there are exceptions.

Voice

There is a way to tell if it is a cat or a female cat by the way they meow. Experienced owners say that the vocal characteristics of different representatives differ in tone.

So, males have a lower voice. Females, on the contrary, are the owners of a high tone - but only if they do not call the cat during heat. Then any cat will envy their bass rumbles.

What's wrong with the cat?

A loving owner, of course, knows perfectly well all the habits and manners of his pet. And he will easily notice any deviation from the norm. But we must not forget that as an animal grows up, it becomes calmer, and its life becomes more measured. And just recently, a playful baby, carefree chasing balls and toys on the floor, may begin to spend more time in a bed or on the window and sleep more than play. It is important to correctly assess the situation here. Is this behavior a sign of illness or is something bothering the pet, or is it just growing up and a certain stage in the cat’s life.

How to find out the gender of a kitten

Any adult knows the difference between a cat and a cat. The main difference is the external genitalia. Males have testes (testes), females have a genital slit (vulva). But such differences are noticeable only in adult pets, when the testes have already descended into the scrotum and become visible. While the males are still small, it is extremely difficult to recognize them by this sign, because you will still notice 2 holes under the tail. Therefore, there are other signs that allow you to recognize who is in your hands: a boy or a girl.

The easiest way to determine the gender of a kitten is when it is still very small (when there is no thick coat of hair that prevents a close look)

You just need to act very carefully so as not to harm the baby. Take the baby with washed hands, wiped dry, making sure that the mother cat is not against your manipulations

Place the baby on your palm with his tummy and very carefully lift his tail. You need to evaluate the shape of the natural holes and the distance between them. This will be the main difference between a cat and a cat.

So, in the male you will see 2 rounded holes, the distance between which is approximately about a centimeter. Many people compare this arrangement of holes to a colon. Testicles will appear between these “points” in the near future.

Sometimes, with very careful palpation, you can find “peas” in this place. Just don't press too hard, don't disturb the baby.

If you press hard, you can injure the kitten.

In the female, the distance between the holes is very small, they are practically adjacent to each other. In addition, the lower hole will be “elongated” (after all, a genital slit). Therefore, this arrangement is compared to an exclamation mark, only upside down.

With age, the distance between the “points” in males increases and is “overgrown” with hair. In females, such “fouling” is not observed, and the distance between the holes becomes about a centimeter.

Differences between a cat and a female cat in behavior

Little kittens behave exactly the same - they are like little children. It is possible to distinguish kittens by their behavior only when they reach puberty, because at this time their hormonal levels change. Some observations showed:

cats are the most active, cats are the lazy ones;
a cat is much cleaner than a cat;
cats mark their territory with secretions with a pungent and unpleasant odor;
cats mark the same territory with their paws, releasing their claws, since they have special glands in their paw pads;
cats refrain from affectionate to their owners, and cats, on the contrary, are more affectionate;
cats always fight over cats, but cats never fight over cats.

Determining the gender of kittens

How to determine the sex of newborn kittens is a simple question if you understand the principle of such sexual division. First of all, the owners need to look under the baby’s tail. It would be great if the sex determination procedure was carried out immediately after birth, while the fur is still wet and has not completely drooped. If the babies are fluffy, then determining their gender will be noticeably more difficult.

The first thing the owner pays attention to is the location of the anal and genital openings. If there is a cat in front of the owner, then the distance between the two holes is approximately 10 mm, since this is where the scrotum is located

In cats, this distance is half as much, and the shape of the two holes is slightly different.

For example, in a newborn cat, the genital opening is similar to a slit and has a slightly oblong shape. The cat's genital opening is round or slightly oval. The method of determining the floor by the shape and distance of the holes is considered the most effective.

If the fur of newborn babies has already drooped, you should not despair, because it can also be used for sexual separation. To determine the sex of the baby by its fur, you need to look under its tail again. Typically, boys have hair growing between the anus and genital opening, often very profusely. Kitties have practically no hair between the two holes. If the owner has furry representatives of the cat family in front of him, it is better to hurry up and determine the gender. Every day such babies will gain more hair, and this method will gradually become irrelevant.

Even veterinarians who have been working with animals for many years sometimes make mistakes when interpreting gender. That is why the probability of correct gender determination in newborn babies is 90%. This means that pets can always prepare an unexpected surprise for their owner, turning them from a cat into a cat or vice versa.

It is believed that it is easier to determine the sex of a kitten if you compare several newborns at once. When comparing several kittens, it will be easier for the owner to understand how to correctly determine the sex of the baby based on the shape of the genital and anal openings.

First aid kit for cats

If you have a cat at home, it is better to prepare a first aid kit in advance for unforeseen situations. A first aid kit may include the following:

Hydrogen peroxide solution 3%;
Chlorhexidine bigluconate solution;
Antihistamine;
Antibiotic eye drops;
An anthelmintic, such as Milbemax;
Smecta;
Bandage;
Cotton wool;
Bactericidal patch.

Adviсe

To avoid many health problems in your cat, it is advisable to follow some rules:

Balanced cat nutrition;
Give vitamin complexes regularly (2 times a year);
Regular vaccination and deworming;
Avoid contact with sick animals;
Walks in the open air,
Hygiene of ears, eyes and fur.

Let's compare the genitals

A look from behind at an adult member of the feline race will immediately reveal his (or her) gender. But the smaller the kitten, the less pronounced these differences are. And in newborns everything is so similar that it’s not surprising even for a professional breeder to make a mistake.

The simplest and most reliable way is to wait until the baby is at least three months old and his sexual characteristics become unambiguous. If you need to determine the sex earlier, you should know a few rules for handling a kitten:

You can only pick up a kitten outside of feeding time and with the permission of the mother cat.
Hands should be clean and free of strong odor.
You should limit the time of contact with the animal, you can even take a photo of the “problem area” and then slowly study it.
Hold the kitten as carefully as possible - stress and injury are of no use to it.

It’s very good when you have the opportunity to look under the tail of not just one kitten, but several at once. If they turn out to be different sexes, then it will be possible to draw such a conclusion based on the differences found. However, your patience and observation will certainly be rewarded with a positive result.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the distance from the anus to the opening of the urethra. In females they are located much closer to each other, there is practically no space left for fur between them

In a small cat, on the contrary, there is a significant space from the anus to the penis: here, gradually, a few weeks after birth, the testicles will begin to develop.

The next important sign is the shape of the genital opening. In male kittens, the urethral opening is small and round. In cats, the opening of the vulva is larger, compressed into a vertical stripe. Schematically describing this feature, they compare the genital picture of a male individual with a colon, and the female one with the Latin letter “i”. Perhaps this is the most reliable way to determine the sex of very tiny kittens.

In long-haired babies, visual testing may be difficult.

Character

Experienced cat lovers can easily determine the sex of an animal by eye. When a representative of the cat family reaches 9 months of age, its habits are almost completely formed. As practice shows, cats are lazier and calmer. They love the affection of their owners more and almost never object when they are picked up.

Cats are more freedom-loving in this regard. They prefer to show affection themselves and climb into their owners’ arms exactly when they want it, and not when someone else wants it. Females often like to show their independence and restlessness. Often it is the cats who, wagging their tails, leave the house when a new pet (especially an aggressive dog) appears, while cats begin to prove their power by marking various areas of the apartment. Cats are very clean and spend hours washing and tidying themselves up, while males are not so particular about hygiene.

It is worth adding that these signs are very relative, since such observations do not take into account either the breed or the genes that could be transmitted to the animal. Some felines can be friendly and affectionate by nature, while others, on the contrary, are overly aggressive. There are many known cases when females protected the house from the encroachment of extraneous males no worse than the domineering owner-cat.

Traits associated with genetics

There is such a thing as sex-linked inheritance of traits. Thus, individuals with a three-color coat color will definitely be female, since the simultaneous presence of bright red, white and black colors guarantees the presence of two X chromosomes. (XX – female, XY – male). A genetic pathology (triploid set of sex chromosomes XXY) occurs very rarely, when cats have this coat color, but they cannot have offspring. Also, calico and tortoiseshell colors belong only to cats.

There are obvious differences by sex in mature animals during the period of sexual heat, which, as a rule, occurs no earlier than 7 months:

Cats begin to more actively mark the surrounding territory, filling your home with a specific smell, become anxious, noisy, and try to go outside.
Cats make heart-rending sounds day and night, fawn over others, roll on the floor, and arch their backs.

Colors

In addition to obvious signs and observation of habits, the color of the animal will also tell about the gender. Here are some nuances of the cat's palette:

The tortoiseshell or tri-color color can only appear in girls. This is caused by genetics: to combine all three classic colors, a pair of X chromosomes is required, which is typical for girls. In cats, the black-white-red color can only appear in the event of a genetic failure or disease.
A color called Calico (a type of tortoiseshell) also belongs to girlish “outfits”.
Only a cat can have a completely red color, as well as a hint of cinnamon.

Regarding spotted cats, there is no exact definition based on color. Red and black pets may have white spots, regardless of gender. However, it has been noticed that the combination “red and white” is more common in boys, and “black and white” cats are more often found.

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Character traits depending on breed

As already mentioned, the behavior and character of an animal depend not only on gender, but also on breed. You should choose a pet not only based on its external attractiveness, but also on its expected psychological characteristics. Some cats cannot stand loneliness, and if their owners are always at work or on business trips, they can become very sad and even get sick. Others only need to stay in the owner’s house to fill the bowl and clean up. You should choose a cat, taking into account its characteristics in accordance with the breed.

The British Shorthair is one of the most common and sought-after breeds in Russia and the rest of the world. These aristocrats are distinguished by truly royal calm, even laziness. A representative of this breed will rarely play, except as a kitten.

Scottish Fold cats (Scottish Fold) are also popular among Russians. They look very cute with their folded ears and expressive eyes. Males of this breed can be extremely willful and like to be in control and demonstrate independence. Female Scots, on the contrary, are very affectionate and attached to their owners. If there is a child in the family, then it is better to get a cat of this breed: she will tolerate his affection, and will not respond aggressively if she doesn’t like something; rather, she will simply move away from the annoying little person.

Sphynx cats require special care. It is better to have such cats for families and people who do not have children or are already old enough. It is quite easy to damage skin without protection in the form of fur.

Siamese cats are very impressionable, they can be nervous and aggressive, especially under certain living and upbringing conditions. They are playful and cheerful, but they will not allow anyone, including children, to offend them. If a male cat of this breed gets angry, she may hiss threateningly and release her claws.

Persians are similar to plush toys not only in appearance, but also in character. They are very calm, even lazy. It should be remembered that representatives of this breed need careful care for their luxurious coat.

Maine Coons, which are increasingly popular, have a rather friendly character and become attached to their owners. Cats, of course, aim to be the head of the house and strive to establish their own rules. Cats of this breed are affectionate and gentle, willing to communicate with children. It is necessary to understand that such large animals require a lot of space and food for physical activity.

When planning to get a cat, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons of different sexes and breeds. The most important thing is to remember that it is not a toy that is bought for the house, but a living creature with certain needs and characteristics, for which a person takes responsibility.

No one (with the exception of the mentally ill) will throw away a child who has not lived up to expectations or is causing a lot of trouble. A cat can be kicked out the door if, in the opinion of a person, it does not behave as he expected. In order not to breed homeless and unfortunate animals, and not to take sin on your soul, before getting an animal, you need to think everything over carefully.

At what age is it easiest to determine what gender a kitten is?

The more time has passed since the kitten was born, the easier it is to understand which gender it belongs to. Any person can determine the gender of a 2-3 month old animal. By this age, kittens’ genitals have completed their formation; in boys, the scrotum is clearly visible, in girls, the genital slit is clearly visible.

It is possible to determine the sex of a kitten immediately after birth, but inexperienced owners often have difficulty with this. If you cannot immediately determine your gender, you should try again after 7 days. This time is considered appropriate - a week-old baby has already grown a little, moreover, in the first weeks of life, the eyes of representatives of the cat family are usually still closed, the animals are not distracted by external stimuli and behave more calmly.

There is practically no fur in the genital area of a newborn kitten, which simplifies the task. From 10 days of age, the fur begins to grow rapidly, covering the external genitalia. Hairs make examination especially difficult in kittens of long-haired breeds.

From the 10th week, the testicles begin to increase in size. By 1.5 months, the testicles are already clearly visible. After a few more weeks, behavioral traits characteristic of different sexes appear. Boys are more energetic and playful, fight more actively for the mother's nipple, and are characterized by dominant behavior. They are calmer and make contact with people more easily. Kitties are more clean and spend a lot of time caring for their fur coat. From the moment of puberty, cats begin to mark their territory. Cats can also leave marks, but their smell is less pronounced.

How to understand that a cat is sterilized: advice from veterinarians

If you doubt that an animal taken from the street or from a shelter has been sterilized, it is recommended to seek help from a qualified veterinarian. An examination by a specialist is necessary to assess the general condition of the animal and determine the presence of diseases. In addition, the doctor will give recommendations on caring for your pet.

If the veterinarian has confirmed that the pet has undergone recent surgery, the owner can calm down. In extremely rare cases, a cat may experience post-operative estrus, the causes of which lie in the following factors:

malignant neoplasms of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland and milk bags;
dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary system;
high concentration of sex hormones in the blood.

After the operation, hormonal substances continue to be in the bloodstream for 2 months, and after that the hormonal levels gradually disappear.

You can tell if a cat is spayed by the presence of a scar. Most veterinarians spay cats, which means removing the uterus and ovaries through a small incision in the abdomen. The procedure is usually called sterilization, since the word “castration” evokes negative associations among many people.

Castration can be carried out in two positions:

An incision is made on the side, the uterus and ovaries are removed with a special hook.
An incision is made along the linea alba, the central line of the abdomen. It is believed that castration along the white line is more correct and humane, since there are practically no nerve endings in this area. Statistics show that sutures along the white line heal better and become inflamed less often.

Carefully examine your cat's abdomen for scarring. For castration, an incision of about 2 cm is made; after healing, the length of the scar usually does not exceed 1 cm. A scar on the side is much more difficult to detect, especially if the cat has a dense undercoat.

By the way, the scar along the white line may not be noticeable if the operation was performed at 7-10 months of age. It is also worth considering the fact that many doctors perform sterilization using the laparoscopic method - through 2 small punctures in the abdominal cavity.

How to distinguish a cat from a cat

The easiest way to determine the sex of a kitten is to look under its tail:

To do this, you need to carefully take the kitten in your hand, turn it tummy up and carefully move the tail to the side. Now it’s worth assessing the distance from the anus to the kitten’s genitals. If the kitten is female, then the distance from the anus to the vagina will be about 5 mm; for boys, the distance is greater, about 1–1.5 cm. Visually, the anus and genitals of a cat look like an inverted exclamation mark, and that of a cat looks like a colon.

The easiest way to determine the gender of a kitten is by comparing it with other kittens in the litter.

How to behave correctly with kittens at this moment

When determining the sex of kittens, it is important to know how to do it correctly:

Babies must be handled very carefully; you cannot lift them by the scruff of the neck or by the tail;
you should be careful with the remnants of the umbilical cord; you must not damage them or break them off;
You should not take the kitten away from its mother while feeding or if the cat is angry;
Before picking up a kitten, you need to wash your hands: the cat may refuse the baby if it smells not like her, but someone else;
Also, you should not hold newborn kittens in your arms for more than 1-2 minutes; thermoregulation in babies is not yet developed, and they can freeze.

How to properly pick up a kitten?

To determine the gender of a kitten, it must be carefully taken from its mother. It is better not to do this while feeding. Be sure to wash your hands first so that there is no smell that could disturb the mother cat. Use soap with a neutral scent. The kitten must be examined quickly and immediately returned to its mother.

Do this for no longer than two minutes. The baby is placed with his tummy on the palm of his hand and they look for sexual characteristics under the tail. In order not to disturb your baby, you can take a photo with your smartphone and then look at it for as long as necessary. You cannot pick up a kitten by pulling back the skin or pulling it by its paws or tail.

Cat's motherly love

If the first time it was not possible to determine the sex of a newborn kitten, then you should not repeat the procedure several times a day. This will disturb the cat and she may hide the kittens.

Differences by gender

Primary sexual characteristics of various breeds are the surest way to distinguish a cat from a female cat, even in small kittens.

Before carrying out the inspection you must:

Wash your hands thoroughly using unscented products. They should be warm.
The kitten should be petted, thereby calming it down. He must trust you.

To determine sex at the age of up to three months, you can use the following methods:

Conduct a tactile inspection. To do this, you need to carefully feel with two fingers, index and middle, the place where the testicles should be. A small cat will feel small peas, no more than 5 mm in diameter.
In order to determine the sex of a kitten, you need to look under its tail. In a small cat, the anus and genital organ are two points located parallel. And in a cat, the urinary canal looks like a slit, and it turns out to be a kind of exclamation mark. This difference can be seen in the photo.

If there is a “colon” under the tail, it is a cat, and an “exclamation mark” is a kitty.

Sex can also be determined by the distance between the anus and the genital organ. In cats it is about 1 cm, in seals it is much larger. Upon reaching the age of three, this place will be taken by the testicles. In the photo this difference is clearly visible.
Another sexual characteristic, how to distinguish a cat from a cat, is the presence of hair between the anus and the genitals. In cats it is quite thick in this place, but in cats it is not at all.

Adult animals

Cat and cat

Just like in humans, there is a “war of the sexes” in the cat world. Cats are as different from cats as day is from night. Experienced cat owners know this, so they advise taking home a kitten of the gender whose character traits are more suitable for the owner.

It is important to understand that character “manifests itself” only at the age of puberty. Therefore, until seven or eight months you will be able to evaluate the kitten’s sociability and mobility, but you will not see the characteristics characteristic of each sex.

Habits characteristic of different sexes:

Cats are lazier. They love to cuddle on the sofa and on their owner's lap. The cat is more likely to be cuddled and hugged. Cats tolerate such caresses less often.
Cats love solitude. By taking a murka into your home, you sign a cohabitation agreement. It will be difficult to teach a female to sit on your lap, because girls have no time for wasting time when the house is full of things to do.
Cats are affectionate only when they need it: during the heat period or in anticipation of dinner. Cats love scratches behind the ears, regardless of time or season.

Behavior during estrus differs between sexes. The cat begins to “mark” the territory, rubbing the sides of the furniture and also scratching the sofa. Cats mark their territory using more severe methods: the urine of a mature cat has a pungent odor and also tends to appear in all corners of the house.

Neutered cats behave differently. It is believed that they are more aggressive, however, this is not entirely true. On the contrary, a cat, deprived of the need to fight for a female, stops trying to prove itself to neighboring rivals, and therefore becomes more affectionate.

Gender differences can also be observed in culinary preferences. The cat won't eat from a dirty bowl, but the cat won't care. Girls also have more requirements regarding drinking water: the bowl must be clean and the drink must be fresh.

Cats love clean water

There is a sign by which, supposedly, you can determine the gender of a kitten. When the babies begin to feed on their own, you need to put a bowl of milk on the floor and move the kittens to it. Watch the babies' tails. Those who hold their ponytail up during meals are boys, and those who have it down are girls.

Male and female cats differ from each other in the process of growth and development:

Males are usually larger and their weight increases faster than that of cats. Adult cats are visually smaller than cats. Males have a wider chest and larger paws.
Cats grow up more playful, cats often try to avoid communication and are melancholic.
The nipples are pronounced in both males and females, but in cats they are larger in size.

Cat tenderness
The sex of adult animals is easier to determine than that of babies. Cats and cats have distinctive features:

Genital organs. The cat's genitals are external, and the testicles are easily visible. Cats have internal genitals, so there are no bulges on the outside.
A one-year-old cat has a dry constitution, rough bones, developed muscles and massive limbs. Cats remain graceful, as at six months of age.
On the face of an adult cat, one can distinguish a massive forehead and clearly defined angles. The cat has a small head and huge eyes. For some breeds, differences in the appearance of the head and muzzle are not typical.
Males have visually thicker and more beautiful fur than females. A healthy animal has greasy hair under its tail. The female has scanty fur in these places. It is also a secondary sexual characteristic in cats.

Black cat and red cat
Of course, if the cat is not neutered, then distinguishing the animals is easier than ever. The external genitalia will give away the male and female. The task becomes more complicated if the cat is castrated and his testicles have been removed. Therefore, to determine the floor, you need to estimate the distance between the holes. In males, even castrated ones, it is large (considerably more than a centimeter), while in cats the anus and genital opening are located very close to each other.

There are still ways to determine the sex of a cat, but they are rather “folk” because they do not provide a 100% guarantee.

Difference in appearance

True pet lovers insist on the real possibility of recognizing gender by certain external characteristics of the body and face. Perhaps this is the case under the condition of great love for a certain breed of pet and additional study of their characteristics. But for others, beginning cat lovers, this method of determination will not be reliable.

So, cat boy:

The owner of a powerful and large physique.
On the wide muzzle there is also a wide nose.
Castrated individuals have a large head and thick paws.

Cat girl:

Long, delicately elongated muzzle.
Beautiful, flexible, graceful and graceful body.

But this, of course, is all conditional. For example, the British and Scottish breeds can easily be misled by their rare features, since they all have large faces. Or sphinxes, with the same small and angular heads.

Watch your gait

Cat lovers note significant differences in the graceful light gait of cats and the sedate, important “predatory” gait of cats

Additional subtleties of gender determination

The color of kittens is a good external sign to help differentiate between girls and boys. The features are:

Only girls’ “outfits” are endowed with tortoiseshell color.
Only boys are awarded the red color or with a hint of cinnamon.

Tricolor males do not exist in nature.

There is a scientific explanation for this at the genetic level. A specific gene from the X chromosome is responsible for red or black color. Sex depends on the combination of chromosomes. XY is a cat. XX – cat. A tortoiseshell or tri-color color is possible only when the genes are combined in the XX, and this is definitely the female gender.

By following the rules of caution, in this way you can determine what gender the kitten is and take into your home the one that suits the owner best.

By body structure

You can also check the animal’s build: cats are more fragile and smaller in build, unlike cats. Also, the skull of a cat, the muzzle itself is smaller than that of cats. Cats have a wider chest and massive paws, but much in this case depends on the breed, the individual characteristics of the animal itself: if the parents were large, the kitten will inherit their genetics in body structure.

It is easy to make a mistake in determining gender based on body structure.

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How to prepare for a kitten exam

You should always remember that a small kitten is a gentle creature that requires careful treatment. Careless handling and dirty hands can cause harm to the baby, so before examining a newborn, you need to prepare.

Babies can only be taken into warm and clean hands. Be sure to wash your hands with soap. The pet should be examined in a prepared place. That is, safe, convenient for you and for animals, with good lighting. You need to take care of a calm environment, without extraneous odors and noises, so that the kittens do not get scared.

If the kittens were born in your home, you should immediately organize care so that the cat calmly lets you near the babies from the moment they are born. And accustom the kittens themselves to being handled.

In the apartment

An uncastrated cat living in an apartment causes a lot of inconvenience to its owner. If you are not going to castrate your pet, then be prepared to face problems such as:

Tags. Most unneutered cats mark their territory in this way. This is the natural behavior of a sexually mature animal; it is useless to scold for it. Animals periodically mark the owner’s things, furniture and corners. The tags have a strong odor that is difficult to get rid of.
Night screams. With a loud cry, the cat scares away rivals from the house and at the same time notifies the females of its presence.
Aggression. With the onset of puberty, a previously affectionate, playful kitten can become an aggressive male. This is due to the action of testosterone, which encourages the cat to strive for leadership and conquer territory.

Age limits

Veterinarians recommend surgery to remove the testes at the age of 7-8 months. During this period, puberty occurs and the urinary ducts develop to a normal state.

With early intervention, the body's development occurs slowly. In some cases, the male remains forever like a kitten.

Sometimes castration is carried out at a late age - after two years of life. This choice is supported by the fact that all the cat’s organs and tissues have fully developed. The operation is easy to carry out, since all the vessels and testes are clearly visible. A serious disadvantage of castration at this age is the consolidation of behavioral habits under the influence of hormones. It's not easy to get rid of them.

Surgery is performed on older animals only for medical reasons. At this age, it is difficult to tolerate anesthesia and recovery will take a long time. The intervention is carried out after a detailed examination.

How to find out the gender of British kittens?

Determining the sex of small British kittens is quite difficult.

Primary sexual characteristics are just being formed, and the thick fur hides subtle differences.

But you can still find out the gender by the following signs:

In this breed, a clear sexual difference is the shape of the anus and genitals. The presence of two dots indicates that the baby is male, and a “question mark” indicates that the baby is female.

Feeling the testicles does not always help accurately determine gender.

This is due to the fact that at birth, both the British cat and the female cat may have swelling in this place.

British kittens are affectionate and peaceful

The presence of nipples also cannot be considered a clear difference. Kittens of both sexes can have them. In females they are more pronounced, but this can only be understood by comparison.
Another sign of how to distinguish a cat from a cat of a given breed is its habits.

The sex of adults can be determined by external characteristics. Males are much larger than females. The latter are more elegant. You can also distinguish the sex by the face: in cats it is narrower and more elongated.

According to the shape of the genitals

How to determine a cat or cat more accurately? You can recognize it by the shape of the genitals. Veterinarians call this method of distinguishing gender the most reliable after the DNA test. What will a cat's genitals look like:

the holes have the appearance of a colon;
the distance between the penis and anus is 1-1.5 cm. For large breeds, these figures may be slightly larger;
the scrotum is clearly visible.

How to determine the sex of a cat by its genitals? You need to pay attention to the following anatomical details:

the appearance of the anus and the loop resembles a sign - a semicolon or the Ukrainian letter of the alphabet i;
the distance between the loop and the anus is 0.5-0.7 cm. In large breeds, these figures may be slightly larger;
The hair in the genital area is less dense than that of a boy.

Both the owner of a mother cat and anyone who wants to have a small kitten in their home can check the presence/absence of such differences.

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Why is gender determination necessary?

You need to know the sex of a kitten for the following reasons:

The pet must be given a nickname. It is not advisable to change it in adulthood, since the cat already knows its name and responds to it.
You need to determine in advance whether your pet will need to be spayed or neutered in the future.
The animal has its own behavioral characteristics depending on its gender. Owners need to select a pet based on this fact. For example, cats mark their territory more often, which causes an unpleasant smell in the apartment. Unspayed females periodically go into heat. Their behavior changes, they begin to demand a cat. When babies are born, the cat becomes aggressive.
If the cubs are purebred, then they can be sold. Boys are more expensive than girls in Maine Coons and other types of cats.

What differences appear with age?

Constipation in a kitten: what to do at home At one month of age, felines are already showing their character, some still cling to their mother, others are more confident in their behavior. Thus, males are more independent, females show their strength to a lesser extent and occupy a dominant position in the family.

At one month of age, both physiological and psychological changes appear: in behavior, games and character. Girls, like boys, show curiosity and persistence, but in relation to the latter this happens to a greater extent. Although there are exceptions, much depends both on the living conditions of the animal, the mother cat, and on the specific breed.

At the age of three months, anatomical differences become noticeable: boys develop testicles, which are the main difference from girls. As adults, animals of different sexes will behave differently, particularly during puberty and estrus. Although the animal's behavior may change depending on whether the animal is spayed or neutered or not.

Much depends on the owners themselves, how willing they are to deal with the issue of breeding and subsequent placement of kittens. However, regardless of the gender of the kitten, the attention and care of the owner will allow you to raise a beautiful pet.

The question “how to distinguish a male cat” is most often asked in two cases: when choosing a pet, and also at the birth of kittens. How to determine the sex of a kitten and an adult animal, we will consider further.

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